After a temporary break of much needed spring-like rain, summer is back! We spent the day at the beach. The kids waded in the ocean and found purple and orange starfish in the tide pools. The boys were happy to dig in the sand for a few hours. And me?

Fresh kale salads are so easy to make and incredibly nutrient-dense. Pictured here is kale I have growing in my garden. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable. It has the ability to speak to our genes and upregulate numerous detoxification and antioxidant enzymes!

I like food. I love the contrasting colors, pungent flavors, and good feelings that come from it. And eating these naturally delicious whole foods is just as wonderful when eating gluten-free. For those of you who have just begun the process of switching to a gluten-free diet, I offer you these suggestions for making wrap style sandwiches work with gluten-free tortillas. I know it can be frustrating to make a wrap with a cold, and somewhat dry brown rice tortilla only to look away for a second and find the whole thing in pieces. Think about it though, what happens to rice when you put it in the refrigerator? It becomes dry and hard, right? And to make it edible you heat it up with a little water? This holds true for using rice tortillas also. For best results steam them, in a steamer basket or over a pan of piping hot food. Flip them, and wait until they get ultra pliable before removing and proceeding with your wrap or fajita, or whatever your meal may be.

Today was our daughter, Gracie's, 4th Birthday. I can't believe she is four already. Where did 3 go? It just disappeared into sleepless nights and endless days with twin babies.

The other night Tom began preparing dinner by making his favorite Quinoa Black Bean Salad. I usually like to serve it along side some steamed winter squash for a light meal.